Jonathan Goes into Exile, Militants Move to Shutdown Oil Output
• Agip pipeline hit for second time in one week, vandals arrested
• MEND calls for end of attacks as presidency considers Alaibe for Amnesty post
• Report: Shell paid $5bn to FG in 2015
There are strong indications that former President Goodluck Jonathan may have gone into temporary self exile in Cote d’Ivoire, following reports that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) may arrest him on his arrival in Nigeria from his overseas tour on allegations of corruption and misappropriation of billions of dollars in the five years during which he was Head of State, THISDAY has learnt.
Several sources close to the ex-president, who confirmed that Jonathan had sought refuge last week in the West African country, also blamed the heightened attacks on oil and gas installations by Ijaw militants in the Niger Delta, resulting in the loss of an estimated 800,000-900,000 barrels of crude oil per day (bpd), to what they claimed was “the decision by President Muhammadu Buhari to renege on his promise that his predecessor had ‘nothing to fear’ from him (Buhari) after he handed over the reins of power on May 29, 2015”.
Immediately after his electoral victory in 2015 and at his presidential inauguration, Buhari, in what was seen as a political gesture, had stated that he would not go after his successor, despite allegations that the former president had presided over widespread corruption during his five years in the saddle.
However, since Jonathan’s departure, anti-corruption agencies led by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have swept in on several associates of the former president on allegations of money laundering, diversion of public funds and contract scams, mostly linked to defence sector contracts and the purchase of arms used for the prosecution of the war against Boko Haram in the North-east.
In recent weeks, the EFCC has in addition to arresting and prosecuting several public office holders who served under the Jonathan administration, arrested some of the closest allies of the former president including his cousin, Mr. Aziobola Robert, in connection to a $40 million pipeline surveillance contract, and his former principal secretary and confidant Mr. Hassan Tukur.
These arrests were said to have shaken the former president, given that they were the two persons closest to him during his presidency.
A source, who spoke to THISDAY on Jonathan’s decision to give Nigeria a wide berth, said the former president was reliably warned by security sources of the plan to arrest him once he stepped into the country, hence his decision to seek exile in Cote d’Ivoire.
Jonathan, the source disclosed, departed Nigeria for the United States almost two months ago travelling to several cities but stayed in New York for some two weeks. After departing the US, he travelled to London to be with his children for a few days, preparatory to his return to Nigeria.
But while in the UK, he was warned by sympathetic officials in different arms of government of the government’s decision to arrest him once he returned to Nigeria.
On getting wind of the plan, Jonathan, THISDAY gathered, contacted a few West African leaders including the President of Cote d’Iviore, Mr. Alassane Outtara, who offered him a safe haven until the coast is clear for him to return to Nigeria.
Sources close to the president said since the information of the government’s resolve to arrest Jonathan swept through the Niger Delta, Ijaw militants have gone berserk and stepped up their attacks on oil and gas installations in the region. They are said to be hell bent on shutting down oil output completely.
One source said the militants are targeting all onshore and shallow water installations, from where Nigeria derives the bulk of 90 per cent of its foreign exchange earnings and may head for the deep offshore oil fields if the federal government does not back down.
“Perhaps the only installations that may not be affected in the interim by militant attacks are those in the deep offshore basin because they are more difficult to reach and would require large vessels to access,” said the source who, however, added that “during the last militant crises we went as far as shutting down the Bonga deep water oil field”.
In order to stem the renewed wave of attacks, governors in the region have scrambled and sent teams to the creeks to placate the militants, but so far their efforts appear to have fallen on deaf ears.
The governors are particularly concerned that the attacks on oil installations would hurt the Niger Delta states the most due to the attendant decline in revenue.
When contacted on the plan by the government to arrest Jonathan and his purported exile, Buhari’s media adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina, said he was not aware that the former president was in exile, adding that questions on his arrest could only be addressed by the security and law enforcement agencies.
Alaibe Considered for Amnesty Post
On its part, the presidency, THISDAY learnt, is seriously considering reaching out to the former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) and first Presidential Adviser on the Amnesty Programme, Mr. Timi Alaibe, to return to run the affairs of the Presidential Amnesty Programme.
A source in the presidency told THISDAY that Buhari who is very disturbed by the incessant attacks on oil installations in the region and its impact on the country’s finances, is mulling the advise of a senior security and intelligence chief, who has recommended that Alaibe be brought back to manage the amnesty office.
The goal, the presidency source explained, is to get Alaibe, who was the architect of the reconciliation, rehabilitation and reintegration programme for ex-militants who laid down their arms in 2009, to use his links with the former and current militants to arrest the bombings in the Niger Delta.
The source added that the current occupier of the office, Brigadier General Paul Boroh (rtd), may be eased out of the job, just as two key ministers from the Niger Delta region have reportedly received verbal queries from Buhari over the security breaches in the region.
“Even though the nation’s security agencies are on top of the situation in the region, the affected officials have been accused of not doing enough to solve the problem.
“The perception in the presidency is that the amnesty man (Boroh) is far detached from the people, he does not know the militants well, and we cannot just go into a military operation that will take innocent lives in the name of looking for the boys when there is an easier way to reach the militants and rebuild confidence.
“I think at our level, we have done our bit by suggesting to the political leadership to bring Timi Alaibe on board so that we can avoid some of these military operations.
“I can bet you that once we engage in any operation, it will take a minimum of 16 months to complete because times have changed.
“It is now very clear to the president that some of the ministers from the Niger Delta are not on ground,” the source in the presidency said.
Since the resurgence of attacks in the Niger Delta, Nigeria’s oil output has fallen to a 22-year low of 1.4 million barrels per day (mbpd), against the budgetary target of 2.2mbpd.
The attacks, which have also targeted gas infrastructure in the region, have also impacted negatively on electricity output from thermal power stations that are reliant on gas to power their turbines. This has led to constant system failures and prolonged blackouts nationwide.
- Thisday
